‘We are sad with shift’

Mumbai: Chennai Super Kings’ chief coach Stephen Fleming said the team has been left devastated by the IPL authorities’ decision to shift the former champions’ home games to Ranchi from the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chepauk.

Chennai’s matches were shifted after the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association failed to get the requisite NOCs to host the matches on May 18 and 22.

“We are very disappointed not to play in Chennai. I say this on behalf of the team, announce our disappointment that we can’t go back. We enjoy amazing support all around India and around the world. But we were looking forward to giving back to the Chepauk crowd. We were devastated as we were really looking forward to those games,” Fleming said.

“Though Ranchi has been home away from home, and we have played there beautifully, there was an element of returning back to the Chennai faithful. We won’t be able to do that this year. We will carry that with us and hopefully put up a couple of good performances at Ranchi and move on. But as I said, the team is sad not to be going back to our fan base,” he added. (PTI)